WASHINGTON. Thursday, just when US stock markets were quieting down, President Trump suddenly shifted the tariff time battle lines south of the border. To fight limp-wristed Mexican illegal immigrant policies, he threatened Mexico with an increasing series of tariffs on Mexican goods. They’ll go into effect if Mexico’s government doesn’t start doing something concrete to halt the World War Z-style waves of illegal aliens and drug-runners invading the US. They’ve rendered America’s sieve-like southern border an international joke. It’s high time for tariff time.

Tariff time again, this time for Mexico

“…President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) says Mexico does not deserve to be treated like the U.S. pretends, following President Trump’s surprise tariffs.

“‘I believe President Trump will understand that we won’t resolve things in this manner. I think there will be a rectification. If it’s not immediate, it has to happen. These measures aren’t beneficial for Mexicans or Americans. That’s my view. We governments need to listen to the people.’

Lopez Obrador does the Sidestep

Well, at least Lopez Obrador has that one right. But,

“Asked if he’s done anything different at the border overnight, Lopez Obrador says the government has already been changing its strategy previously.

“‘Once we’ve turned over the data to the U.S., they should come see what we’ve done in terms of migrant crossings at our borders’”

The sad thing is, we’ve already seen what little the Mexican government has done about its Southern border with Central America, which is where this Soros-funded illegal alien caravan problem begins. Current Mexican illegal immigrant policies apparently were designed to shelter and clothe all the illegals (and drug cartel members) until they figure out a way to sneak through America’s still porous border “defenses.” Don’t miss the next thrilling episode.

On the heels of ex-Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s despicable alleged “exit” from the Trump impeachment wars and increased Chinese insistence on its right to steal American technology and ingenuity, the President launched his latest salvo in his ongoing battle to Make America Great Again.

At Friday’s opening bell, investors took this latest Presidential tariff move – totally justified under the circumstances – as yet another danger for those brave few still holding long positions in stocks. Friday’s tariff time sell-a-thon commenced immediately, driving the Dow down some 300 points. As of 1:15 p.m. ET, it’s only recovered 20 to 40 points from the morning’s low. Depending on how frequently you check.

(UPDATE: The Dow closed down a whopping 354 points.)

China, illegal aliens just part of the problem

Admittedly, coming directly after the acrimonious break up of US / China trade negotiations and Chinese threats to cut the US off from its treasure trove of rare earth elements, the President’s timing may not seem auspicious. But if you look closer, you have what amounts to one lonely individual bravely trying to prevent the American way of life fro bleeding out.

America’s central government, not to mention countless state and big city governments, have achieved a Banana Republic level of corruption. Rooting this out is literally a Herculean task, on the order of cleaning out the Augean Stables.

But wait! There’s more…

In addition, Trump just took on the intractable problem of counterproductive Mexican illegal immigration policies.

Simultaneously, he battles a hydra-headed enemy consisting of wealthy Fake Socialists in Hollywood and Silicon Valley; rapacious politicians and bankers in New York; seditious Democrat-Socialist-led “Sanctuary City”-states from Sea to Shining Sea; the Chinese Communist government representing the Greatest Kleptocracy of all times; a punch-drunk former Soviet Union trying to regain it glory days as The Working People’s Paradise; a Middle East addicted to quasi-religious savagery; a so-called European Union dedicated to its own extermination; and finally, a Soros-led and funded mega-rich guy cadre that’s working hard to establish a New Feudalism. That New Feudalism remains disguised as the Working People’s Paradise Vlad Putin also thinks he’s trying to resurrect.

Markets reflect Trump’s battle against America’s decline

Trump gets no help battling any of these real-life super-villains. His own Wimpocrat Republican Party won’t get behind him and his winning coalition. Elsewhere, the Disloyal Opposition of Democrat-Socialists is vastly more interested in Fake Impeachment Street Theater stunts based on Fake Russia Collusion narratives and Fake Obstruction of Justice issues. The latter development is darkly hilarious. If any thing, Trump is guilty of a waging a very real Obstruction of FakeJustice War.

At any rate, the shattered hulk of this once great party of the American worker has no program. Just street theater bread and circuses. Meant to be attractive and exciting enough to drive the American voter back into the ‘Rats’ virtue-free virtue-signaling arms to save the nation for Obamanation Act II beginning in 2021.

Like everything else in the US, trading and investing is politicized

Again, I regret waxing so political in this generally stock market-oriented column. But the battles briefly charted above – some phony, some unnecessary, some totally justified – have combined to shoulder aside a reasonably sensible stock market based on values, earnings, and charts of past and predicted performance.

The stock market has become just as politicized as everything else in this republic. And politicization destroys everything and every value in its path. Traders, investors, corporate CEOs and everyday US citizens ought to line up to help this president solve some very intractable and potentially fatal national problems before it’s too late. And they need to do so regardless of dueling partisan choirs.

The consequences for stocks, bonds and practically everything else will not be good if this country continues to march down the lawless “fundamental transformation” path set out by America’s first Communist president and the country’s still-socialist-weaponized intelligence and judicial agencies. A deliberate Marxist-style corruption systematically put in place during that President’s disastrous two terms.

The consequences of “fundamental transformation”

Day after day on Wall Street, investors no longer have a clue where things are going. This makes it difficult to invest. It makes it difficult for companies to figure out what they’re going to invent, make and sell. And that makes it perilous for working families that need a regular income in order to survive, prosper and grow.

We’ll be glad to see this topsy-turvy political and trading week come to an end. Our only fear is that next week will be even worse. America is fast becoming a country that relies on “feelings.” That’s a dangerous course, as it neglects the use of our other unique, human gift: reason. And only reason, not feelings, is going to extract us from our current political and economic mess both here and abroad.

Let’s give Trump a hand. Why not Make America Great Again?

Only Trump is doing battle against the Hydra of Disasters. Dealing firmly with China’s blatant and ongoing theft of American tech along with long-faulty Mexican illegal immigrant policies are only the latest of numerous serious issues. He could use a bit of support and encouragement at this point. Anyone who thinks he’s got a better battle plan should step up and tell us what it is.

But when it comes to that cosmic question, all I hear is silence from pretty much everyone in America’s desperately corrupt capital city. And the nattering of the Fake Media’s talking heads. Plus a couple dozen of the worst, most shallow and moronic Democrat presidential wannabes I’ve ever seen in my increasingly lengthy lifetime.

Have a good weekend. We’ll try, yet again, to make some sense of the stock market after thinking about it – again – over the weekend. On Monday, Chinese bullheadedness and Trump’s latest tariff time episode will likely remain front and center for US markets. So Monday looks pretty bleak.

Headline image:The Fall of the Alamo (1903) by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, depicts Davy Crockett wielding his rifle as a club against Mexican troops who have breached the walls of the mission. Public domain image, caption via Wikipedia entry on the Alamo.

Biographical Note: Dateline Award-winning music and theater critic for The Connection Newspapers and the Reston-Fairfax Times, Terry was the music critic for the Washington Times print edition (1994-2010) and online Communities (2010-2014). Since 2014, he has been the Business and Entertainment Editor for Communities Digital News (CDN).
A former stockbroker and a writer and editor with many interests, he served as editor under contract from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and continues to write on science and business topics. He is a graduate of Georgetown University (BA, MA) and the University of South Carolina where he was awarded a Ph.D. in English and American Literature and co-founded one of the earliest Writing Labs in the country. Twitter: @terryp17